


Rich and Rare

by Elizabeth Culmer (edenfalling)



Category: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Backstory, Charn, Gen, Jewelry, Magic, Magical Artifacts, Narnia, Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-01
Updated: 2010-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-09 05:49:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1971279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edenfalling/pseuds/Elizabeth%20Culmer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jadis, on magic, jewelry, and the symbolism of crowns.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rich and Rare

**Author's Note:**

> This ficlet was inspired by the 6/20/10 word #37 on the [15_minute_ficlets](http://15_minute_ficlets.dreamwidth.org) Dreamwidth community.

When she ruled Charn, Jadis wore no crown. Her sister had taken the diadem of their ancestors when she claimed the throne and drove Jadis from the city. Jadis refused to fashion a pale imitation. The whole world knew her rights, and she had no need to underline her position with pageantry.

Metals and precious stones were nonetheless useful for storing and channeling magic, and Jadis was nothing if not practical. So she wore rings of gold and silver, set with diamond and emerald, onyx and ruby: white to summon the light of the stars and green to induce the growth of disease, black to devour life at noon and red to wake pain at midnight. She wore intricate necklaces of platinum decked with pearls and moonstone, to control dreams and desire. She wore heavy bracelets of copper, to call and bind the lightning.

None of that magic works in the Lion's world. Her power is undimmed, but all the paths are changed. And no one recognizes her right to rule.

Jadis learns the spells of stone and ice and makes new tools to channel them. It takes her a thousand years, but she has time in plenty. She can afford to lull the Lion into foolish complacency. She can suffer him to dismiss her as helpless, for now.

What matters is reality, not how others see her.

But when she claims the heart of the Lion's world as her kingdom, she fashions a crown to drive her conquest home.


End file.
